The arts make for a thriving community, but more investment is needed to make sure it continues for future generations.

Agata Popęda here, with another arts and culture cover story in this week’s edition of the Weekly. For years I’ve been learning about the structure and the network of arts in Monterey County, starting with a map of galleries, even though I still find new ones. Then there are annual traditions, including artists opening their studios, allowing art lovers into private houses, garages and everywhere where art happens. 

The government funds arts to a degree, and schools are striving to keep them as part of their curriculum. Still, there would be no art in Monterey County if not for a network of arts nonprofits—dozens of them—that make future artists of the county’s students, save lives of teenagers and is also affordable for other members of the community, such as veterans or retirees.

It would be impossible to name all the arts nonprofits that do this hard work for the community. It took a while to decide on three of them to focus on for this story: Palenke Arts in Seaside, Hijos Del Sol in Salinas and Sol Treasures in King City, but I wanted to offer a full picture of how such an organization operates. They are supported by governmental grants, private donations and business contributions. Still, they could do better with more funds is what I heard from many conversations with their founders, directors and beneficiaries.

The hope is to remember arts nonprofits when you are considering this year’s MCGives! campaign that will last until the end of December.

It’s the arts that make Monterey County the place where people come to consume art. Let’s keep investing in our artistically talented youth and keep it this way for the next decades. Even those who lack talent get transformed by the process, making for a better community for all of us.